The White House followed through on President Trump’s promise to share photos from then-Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo’s meeting earlier this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders posted pictures of the two men at the time of their meeting over Easter weekend.
Great to have Secretary Pompeo confirmed. He will do an excellent job helping @POTUS lead our efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. (photos from previously confirmed Easter weekend trip) pic.twitter.com/o4RNDKVmah
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) April 26, 2018
“Great to have Secretary Pompeo confirmed. He will do an excellent job helping @POTUS lead our efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. (photos from previously confirmed Easter weekend trip),” Sanders wrote.
Trump said Thursday morning that Pompeo wasn’t expected to meet with Kim when he traveled to North Korea in April.
“Mike Pompeo did go there. He wasn’t supposed to meet with Kim Jong Un but he did. He, you know, they arranged actually while he was there to say hello. We have incredible pictures of the two talking and meeting, which I would love to release if we can,” Trump told Fox News.
Trump said the meeting was significant in negotiations with North Korea, South Korea, and the U.S. because it confirmed the parties were willing to come to the table and make deals.
“It was more than hello. They got along. They were with each other more than an hour. They spoke. He also spoke with his counterparts in North Korea. They had a great meeting. He then left. It was very, very secret. It was very quiet,” Trump added.
A summit between the U.S. and South Korea will start Friday.
Trump also said the U.S. has narrowed a meeting between Kim and Trump down to five locations and up to four dates.
Pompeo was confirmed as the top U.S. diplomat by the Senate Thursday afternoon.
